Shipping carton



Patented Jan. 28, 1930 PATENT OFFICE THEODORE FISCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHIPPING. CARTON Application med April 9,

The object of my invention is to provide a foldable shipping carton ofsimple, durable and inexpensive construction, and especially designedfor use in shipping articles such for instance as sausages.

lit is well known that, in connection with the shipment and storage ofarticles like sausages, if the sausages are in contact with each other,or with the surface of the container,

and subjected to ordinary summer atmospheric temperatures, the sausagestend to sweat and discharge fatty substances, which forms a conditionfavorable to the growth of mould.

The important feature of my invention is to provide a. carton ofthischaracter in which articles such as sausages are supported in positionout of contact with each other and out of contact with the surface ofthe carton,

and in such position that the air will freely circulate around andbetween substantially all parts of each individual sausage, to therebypreserve them in good condition during s ipment and storage.

Myinvention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof-the various parts of the foldable carton, and the con struction ofthe foldable rack, and the means for detachably and firmly securingthese two members together, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an isometric view illust'rating a carton embodying myinvention.

-Fi re 2 shows a vertical transverse sectiona View of same with thecover member partly open.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a planview of the blank from which the carton proper isformed; and

' Figure 5 shows a similar view of the blank from which the rack memberis formed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the bottom of thecarton proper. This is preferably made of paraflined paste board. Thedotted lines 11 show the lines along which 1928. Serial no. 268,637. j

the paper is weakened by partially cutting or otherwise, for foldingpurposes along the front and back of the carton, and the lines 12 arethe weakened lines at the ends of the carton. The front of the carton isindicated generally by the numeral 13 and has a-weak ened line 14 at itslongitudinal center, so that the part- 15 will be folded over flatagainst by cutting out apart of the bottom along three sides, as shownby dotted lines in Figure 4, and bending these parts upwardly as shownin Figure 2.

The upright sides of the carton are indicated by the numeral 17 and eachof theparts 17 has at its front an extension 18 connected with the part17 by a weakened line '19. This part 18 is folded over the part 17 andwhen the carton is assembled the part 18 is held in its folded positionby means of a retaining member 20 formed integral with the parts 17 atabout its central portion, as shownin Figure 4, and containing a slot21'connected by a weakened line 22 with the part l7.- This retainingmember 20 is folded inwardly and downwardly in the completed carton, asshown in Figure 3.

The rear end of the carton is indicated generally by the numeral 23 andhas at each 'end an upright end member 24 connected b a weakened line 25with the body portion. his end 24 is folded upwardly at right angles tothe body portion 23. Connected with the in the 'bottom 10 two lockingmembers 16 formed end member 23 is a top member 26 connected at one endby a weakened line 27 with the art 23. This top member has two sidememers 28 each connected by a weakened line 29 with the part 26. A Oneach of the upright'side members there is a locking member 34 separatedfrom the members 30 and 32 but connected by a weakened line 35 with thepart 28. This locking member is formed with a projecting tongue 36.These locking memb ers are first folded inwardly toward the transversecenter of the carton and then the member 32 is folded inwardly overthese two members 34 and the tongues 36 are projected through the slots37 in the member 32, as shown in Figure 2.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the carton when assembled iswell braced and has considerable strength in proportion to the strengthof the material of which it is formed. Furthermore, it is obvious thatthe top member may be folded from a position with its body body portionflat on the table or other surface upon which it is resting to aposition with its front upright edges overlapping the front upright edgeof the main part of the carton, and when the top member 26 is lying gutfiat, the back member 23 is also lying out The rack member comprises abody portion 38 made of the same material as the carton proper, and hastwo upright members 39 connected with the body portion 38 by weakenedlines 40, so they may fold to upright position as shown in Figure 1.Each of the parts 39 is formed with a series of circular openings, thoseon one member being in line with those on the other member. At each endof the body 38 are two locking members 41 and 42. The members 42 areprovided with locking lugs 43 cut from the material, except at one side.

In assembling the rack member, the parts 39 are folded in uprightpositions. The part 42 with its locking lug is first folded inwardly,then the part 41 is folded against its outer surface. Then the rack isplaced in position in the carton and the locking members 20 on the sides17 are folded inwardly and the locking member 43 is inserted through theslot 21, thereby firmly supporting the rack againstlongitudinalmovement,'or forward and rearward movement, and since the rack is thesame length as the carton, it is held againstlengthwise movement.

In practical operation, the carton and rack are assembled as beforedescribed, and placed in position with the top member lying fiat uponthe table on which the carton is supported. 7 When in this position,obviously sausages or other articles can be readily and easily insertedthrough the openings in the rack from the side toward which the topmember is extended, and when the rack has been filled, the top memberand the rear member are folded over in the manner shown in Fig ure 2,and the carton may be held in closed position by a string or otherfastening device. sausages or other articles are held from contact witheach other and from contact with the carton, except at the points wherethe edges of the openings in the rack engage the sausages.

Air circulating openings 44 may be provided in the bottom or other partsof the carton, for the purpose of preventing the formation of mould, bya free circulation of air.

I claim as my invention:

Obviously, in shipping or storage the 1. In a carton of the classdescribed, the combination of a carton body portion and a foldable rackmember, the latter comprising a body portion and two upright members,the latter being formed with alined openings, the ends of the uprightmembers being provided with extensions folded to overlapping positionsfor fixing the upright members in position relative to each other, andmeans for fixing the rack member in position within the carton againstlateral movements therein, said means comprising retaining membersconnected with the carton portion and folded over the top of anddownwardly against the inner sides of the end portions of the rackmember.

2. In a carton of the class described, the combination of a carton bodyportion and a foldable rack member, the latter comprising a body portionand two upright members. the latter being formed with alined openings,the ends of the upright members being provided with extensions folded tooverlapping positions for fixing the upright members in positionrelative to each other, and means for fixing the rack member in positionwithin the carton against lateral movements therein.

. said means comprising retaining members connected with the cartonportion and folded over the top of and downwardly against the 9 innersides of the end portions of the rack member, each of said retainingmembers be ing formed with a slot, and a locking member formed on therack member to enter said slot and to firmly secure the rack memberagainst movement within the carton.

3. In a carton of the class described, the combination of a carton bodyhaving a bot tom member. integral upright sides on the bottom member,integral retaining members on said sides, said retaining members beingformed with slots and designed to be folded inwardly against the innersurfaces of said sides, and a rack member formed with a bottom bodyportion and integral upright sides, the sides being formed withextensions folded to overlapping positions, one of said extensions ateach end of the rack being formed with a tongue designed to enter saidslots in the retaining members, to thereby firmly secure the rack'memberin position within the carton against movement in all directions.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 19. 1928.

THEODORE FISCHER.

